Retrieving golf balls from hazards such as mud, water and foliage is an ever-present problem for golfers. Therefore, it is not surprising that substantial effort has been directed toward the development of devices to retrieve golf balls from such hazards. The problem areas and the difficulties in addressing them are evident in prior efforts.
Nihra, U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,189, Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,569 and Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,149 reveal varied approaches to structure for gripping or retaining a golf ball in a retriever. Nihra adopts structure having the shape of a partial donut, made from an aluminum rod, formed with gripping embossments along the inside of the structure. Such embossments can then grip the ball when the structure is passed over the ball.
Anderson provides small resilient gripping members about, e.g., metallic wire generally forming a circle or partial circle. The gripping members then are intended to grip the ball as the structure they are on, is passed over the ball. Alternatives to the resilient gripping members in Anderson, are triangular indentations in the nature of crimps along the wire, and, also, cone-shaped inwardly facing protrusions from a ring structure.
The ball-holding structure in Clark emphasizes mere retaining rather than gripping. According to one form, Clark provides a slot along a rake head to support a ball and a ring on the head about the slot area to retain the ball in the slot. In another form, again in structure that can alternatively perform as a rake head, Clark provides a rod structure bent to form an elongated inner opening to hold a golf ball.
Another aspect of the golf ball retriever situation concerns the desire to achieve sufficient reach for the retriever while attempting to limit the storage size of the retriever and the weight of the retriever. Nihra, Anderson and Clark are also illustrative of this aspect.
Nihra, as for specifics, discloses the use of telescopically assembled tubing. Anderson also suggests a telescopic handle which, to facilitate effective operation, is at an angle from the plane of the circle or partial circle relating to the gripping structure. Clark suggests lightweight tubular material such as an aluminum alloy or the like and, again, telescoping. In addition, the handle is rotatable relative to the rake-ball retaining structure to provide the alternative raking-golf ball retrieving uses and, also, for storage.
Asquith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,083 is of some, limited peripheral interest in disclosing a combination golf club carrier, ball carrier and carrier for other golf accessories. Aldrich, U.S. Pat. No. 2,110,640 is similarly of tangential interest in providing a utility implement made of wire and particularly adapted for cooking. The implement includes tine elements at one end, a ring for use in opening bottles near the middle and a socket for a temporary handle such as a stick cut from shrubbery or undergrowth toward the other end.
The present invention provides a golf ball retriever formed to particularly interact with a golf club, for extension of the retriever from the golf club. Along with this, it provides structure for gripping a golf ball for retrieval with a light touch while the retriever is extended from a golf club.